Digital Video Bliss
Written: Aug 12 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The absolute best option for producing high quality video on a PC platform; it is very fast and *very* dependable.
Cons: Not the cheapest model around, but worth every penny. You have to upgrade the Adaptec CD burner software ($99) save video to CD ROM.
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| David_Carraher's Full Review: Sony VAIO PCV-R558DS PC Desktop |
I never thought I'd find a decent alternative to the Macintosh for video editing. (Believe me, I've had lots of experience in video development on PC's! But I've wasted countless hours installing and reinstalling SCSI ports, trying to untangle conflicting devices, burning CD ROM's that did not work, and becoming frustrated with poorly integrated software products.)
The Sony PCV-R558 Digital Studio completely changed my mind. It is the first PC platform solution I found to work for digital video editing. And it works brilliantly.
I plugged in my Sony Video Walkman into the iLink HotWire port (at the front, not the rear of the computer) and was capturing video within 3 minutes without even having glanced at the documentation. The DVgate software immediately recognized my hardware as soon as I connected it to the VAIO.
Why does the 558 work so well, when Dell's and Gateways (which I had used extensively) always presented problems? One reason is its integration. Sony offers very few models for digital video editing but has configured them very carefully with all the essentials for still and motion editing, using their proprietary software as well as well chosen industry standards (Adobe Premiere, Sound Forge...).
Since I use Sony cameras and Sony's Video Walkman (GV-D900), I never came across any incompatibility problems that plague so many other setups.
It's possible that people working with equipment from other manufacturers might not have the success I had. By the way, the 558 comes with DVD and writable CD as standard, as well as a 40 Gig drive, 128 MB of fast PC-133 RAM, Word 2000, and a good amount of useful software for image editing.
You might think you can do as well by purchasing a another name brand and then adding on the components, but this approach inevitably leads to conflicts among devices and, ultimately many headaches. If you want to do PC digital video editing at a high-end pro-sumer level, look no further than the Sony 558. It is truly a wonder.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
David_Carraher
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Member: David Carraher
Location: Andover, MA
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Mathematics educator interested kids' learning, Brazilian music, and making videos.
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